Friday, August 09, 2019

The 2019 Terroir Awards at Anura wine estate

On a beautiful, sunny, but fiercely cold winter’s day we arrived at Anura Farm for the 2019 Novare SA Terroir Awards
Held in The Cooperage, Anura’s new tasting room and impressive function venue
With its double vaulted ceiling
A good glass of Bon Courage MCC Blanc de Blanc to welcome us
Note the very clever and innovative tray which holds glasses so securely that serving staff are at no risk of spilling them
Come and taste!
The end window gives magnificent views of the Stellenbosch mountains over the vineyards
Try not to chop off your fingers with this biltong slicer
Who doesn’t love a table groaning with biltong and droëwors?
Bottles of wines that had been entered were arranged artfully on this display plant stand,
and many were later announced as winners
Clean, elegant modern architecture with local sandstone highlights
Wonton Basket filled with a salmon rose & avocado mousse, served with a yuzu mayonnaise
Chermoula chicken lollipops dipped in chimichurri 
Butternut and caramelised onion tartlets with pine nuts and sage oil
Seared fillet wrapped in wild rocket, with sweet home made mustard and a drizzle of chilli syrup
Blaauwklippen winemaker and competition judge Narina Cloete with Duimpie Bayly CWM
Duimpie Bayly and David Biggs enjoying the Bon Courage MCC Blanc de Blanc
For the alcohol averse
It is such an impressive venue, almost church like; you can see that weddings might be very popular here
Baleia winemaker Gunter Schultz and Jacus Marais of Nitída
Marie Louise and Newald Marais of Kranskop with Duimpie Bayly
Lynne attempted to taste through the wines on offer. It was clear very early on that these wines impressed people
A selection of the white wines, Mischa 2018 Roussanne, Lourensford Viognier 2018, Bartinney 2017 Chardonnay, Ghost Corner Semillon 2017 - already a 94 scoring wine, Doolhof Riviersteen Barrel Fermented Chenin 2017, Baleia Bay 2019 Sauvignon Blanc
Duimpie Bayly and Maryna Calow of WOSA having fun
Who sat where
Comedian Nik Rabinowitz tickled and teased outrageously and had us in hysterics
What a great MC he makes. He told us to #HouDuimpieVas at the #TerroirWineAwards
Journalist Marius Labuschagne, founder of the SA Terroir Wine Awards, thanked Novara, the sponsor, in his opening speech and said that they have played a major role in making this competition happen and be such a success. He also thanked the technical side. "The end is at the beginning, we see the terroir in the final wines; there IS a need for a competition to see which terroir is performing the best". He also recognised Elsabé Ferreira's contribution; things won't work without her organisation
Novare Deputy CEO Olaotse Leepile said it was an honour to be involved with the treasure we have in the Cape Winelands. He welcomed the judges, the winemakers, the media and colleagues at Novara. 2016 was his first year at Novara and he is enjoying being involved with the wines very much. Novara has been the sponsor of the Terroir Awards since 2008
The SA National Wine Show Association (SANWSA) runs the SA Young Wine Show, the Veritas Awards and the Novare SA Terroir Wine Awards. SANWSA chairman Dr Christo Pienaar spoke about how this competition began and said that it is clear that there was a need for it as it is different and unique. Terroir is the source of the natural characteristics of the wine, its soil, climate, minerals and shows what differences there are in wines from different areas. The voting panel included Convener Jeff Grier MW, Narina Cloete, Anton Swarts CWM, Sandile Mkhwanazi and David Biggs 
Bennie Howard CWM and Duimpie Bayly CWM presented the Awards
And this is the list:
Top Petit Verdot, 2013 Anura Petit Verdot Reserve
Top Sauvignon Blanc, 2019 Baleia Sauvignon Blanc
Top Chardonnay, 2017 Bartinney Chardonnay
Top Colombard, 2019 Bon Courage André's Fame Colombard
Top MCC, 2011 Bon Courage Jacques Bruére Blanc de Blanc Cap Classique
Top Rosé, 2019 Bon Courage Lady of the House Pinotage Rosé
Top Port, 2013 Boplaas Cape Vintage
Top Malbec, 2017 Bushmanspad Estate Malbec
Top Pinot Noir, 2017 Creation The Art of Pinot Noir
Top Touriga Nacional, 2017 De Krans Touriga Nacional
Top Chenin Blanc, 2017 Doolhof Riviersteen
Top Merlot, 2017 Doolhof Signature Single Vineyard Collection Merlot
Top White Blend, 2017 Flagstone Treaty Tree Reserve Sauvignon Blanc/Sémillon
Top Sémillon, 2017 Ghost Corner Sémillon
Top Cinsaut, 2018 Kaapzicht Skuinsberg Cinsaut
Top Tannat, 2017 Kranskop Tannat
Top Viognier, 2018 Lourensford Limited Release Viognier
Top Roussanne, 2018 Mischa Estate Roussanne
Top Gewurztraminer, 2019 Neethlingshof Estate Gewürztraminer
Top Noble Late Harvest,  2017 Neethlingshof Maria Weisser Riesling
Top Riesling, 2018 Nitida Riesling
Top Cabernet Sauvignon, 2016 Nuy Mastery Cabernet Sauvignon
Top Muskadel, 2006 Nuy Wit Muskadel
Top Grenache, 2016 Ondine Grenache
Top Shiraz, 2015 Ormonde Single Vineyard Chip off the Old Block Shiraz
Top Cabernet Franc, 2014 Rietvallei JMB Cabernet Franc
Top Natural Sweet, NV Slanghoek Vinay Vin Rosé
Top Red Blend, 2017 The Glen Carlou Collection Red Blend
Top Pinotage, 2016 Wildekrans Pinotage Barrel Select Reserve

Duimpie Bayly with Baleia's award for the Top Sauvignon Blanc
We had this wine with lunch and it was superb: Creation's The Art Of Pinot
Carolyn Martin of Creation in Hemel and Aarde accepts the award for the Top Pinot Noir for their Art of Pinot
Danie Steytler junior accepts the Award for the best Cinsault, Kaapzicht Skuinsberg
Newald Marais of Kranskop got the ward for the Top Tannat
Henriette Jansen of Nitída with their award for the Top Riesling
Elaine Conradie of Slanghoek accepts the Award for the Top Natural Sweet, Vinay Vin Rosé
Braam Gericke of Wildekrans accepts the award for the Top Pinotage
Aldert Nieuwoudt and Menno Schaafsma of Bushmanspad with their award for the top Malbec
Convener of the Judges, Jeff Grier of Villiera
De Wet Viljoen, Neethlingshof cellarmaster, accepts his awards for the Top Noble Late Harvest, Maria Weisser Riesling
and Top Gewürztraminer, Neethlingshof Estate Gewürztraminer 2019
Theo and Berinda Basson of Ormonde with their awards for Ondine, the Top Grenache
and Ormonde The Chip of the Old Block, the Top Shiraz
Bon Courage winemaker Philip Viljoen accepted the award for the Top MCC, Jacques Bruère Blanc de Blanc 2011
Jacques Bruwer of Bon Courage then accepted the award for the best overall producer
Overall winners Bon Courage with their trophy
The innovative menu
Lunch was served after all the awards and so was a little bit late. It was tender and falling apart;
slow roasted lamb with tomatoes, falafel balls, baby potatoes on a bed of vegetables with a rich Mediterranean tomato sauce
Dessert platters for two were served and had tiny choux buns filled with melktert custard,
chewy honeycomb, delicious small banana-filled spring rolls with a caramel sauce,
lemon curd tarts topped with tiny macarons and a fresh raspberry and a deconstructed Eton mess
Getting some sun on the deck in the afternoon
Newald Marais of Kranskop with the Trophy for the Top SA Wine Area, which this year went to Robertson.
All the winners
Stellenbosch winners
Robertson winners
Journalists Samantha van den Bergh, Sonja Smit, Suzaan Potgieter, Jonathan Snashall
and winemaker Elaine Conradie of Slanghoek
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